Video of Tour Guide Being Manhandled By Police at Municipal Airstrip Causes Furor
It is a scene all too familiar to the Belizean public. A police officer caught apparently acting in a manner unbecoming of the Police Department in the execution of his duties. Over the weekend, a police constable and a corporal were caught on video conducting a search on a young man who has been identified as nineteen year old, boat captain and tour guide, Shamar Foster. The phone video captured the moments the officer continuously shouted obscenities at Foster, seemingly unprovoked. There was one instance in the video where the officer was seen physically assaulting Foster. His superior, who accompanied him at the time, did not make any attempt to de-escalate the situation. What has made the situation even more damning in the eyes of the public is the fact that international tourists were standing by as witnesses to the entire ordeal. The incident now has the public calling for disciplinary actions against both officers. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a look at the viral video.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Two police officers are in hot water tonight after a confrontation with a civilian, Shamar Foster, became physical. Many viewers have described the officer’s behavior as unprofessional and unwarranted. At the beginning of the video, one officer instructed Foster to put his hands up. Foster complied and a search was conducted on his person. The officer is then heard hurling expletives at Foster. The entire time, Foster was recording himself being searched. The officer, who then noticed the recording taking place, made an attempt to hit the phone. He then continued to hurl expletives, as Foster asked the officer to give a reason for the search. At that moment the officer increased his verbal assaults, thereafter threatening to charge the young man for assaulting police officers. It is clear from the video that the police officer was never assaulted. The young man held up his phone camera to catch both himself and the officers in frame. That is the moment the officer hit Foster’s hand which caused the phone to fall to the ground.
During the search Foster kept identifying himself as a boat captain and tour guide. He said that he was at the airport to catch a flight to return to work on one of the islands. But then the other officer told the young man that she doesn’t know if he is a tour guide because of how he is dressed. The male officer then asked the young man if he has the words “tour guide” marked on him. At that moment, a bystander intervened in defense of the young man. The bystander is being hailed a hero by many for standing up against the police officer.
